A significant collection of documents illuminating Southern Maryland’s colonial manorial past, paired with a $50,000 gift, has been donated to the Southern Maryland Studies Center at the College of Southern Maryland’s La Plata campus. The National Society of Descendants of Lords of the Maryland Manors provided the multipronged contribution, which includes its organizational archives, to ensure the preservation and accessibility of irreplaceable records tied to the region’s earliest European settlements and family lineages.
The archival materials encompass meeting minutes, materials from annual tours of historic sites, dedication records, correspondence, photographs and estate lists. These items offer researchers a window into the social, economic and legal structures of 17th-century Maryland communities, particularly those connected to the manorial system established under the colony’s proprietary charter.
In colonial Maryland, the Lords Baltimore implemented a distinctive land system that permitted the creation of manors with rights to hold local courts, a practice rooted in English feudal traditions but adapted to the New World. Many such estates were granted in the counties that now form Southern Maryland, shaping patterns of land ownership and community development that persist in local genealogies and place names. Harry Wright Newman, a leading genealogist of the region, founded the society in 1938 and authored influential works, including “The Flowering of the Maryland Palatinate,” which details the adventurers aboard the Ark and Dove and the manorial framework. His personal research collection of more than 100 boxes, covering upwards of 1,500 surnames with strong Southern Maryland representation, was donated to the SMSC in the 1980s.
The latest gift honors the dedication of Alice Louise Boone Turner of Bryantown in Charles County, a society member since 1966 and its longtime historian. Turner, who died in 2023, championed support for the SMSC. Her volunteer work with the Charles County Historical Society and the college helped build what became the Louise Boone Turner Historic Sites Files, underscoring her commitment to documenting local heritage. The $50,000, administered through the CSM Foundation, will aid the center in maintaining these and other collections under professional standards.
Mallory Haselberger, SMSC archivist, emphasized the personal and communal value of the records. “We get to see the mark these individuals left on our local communities,” she said. “It’s a piece of the puzzle helping tell the story of where we call home. These records may help people discover where they came from and connect dots in their own heritage.”
Frank Locke, a society member, noted the broader significance. “It is fitting that this donation go towards preserving the memories and history of our ancestors in Southern Maryland,” Locke said. “These collections, along with the lineage papers of the ancestors of our members at the Maryland State Archives will go a long way in keeping our ancestors’ memories alive and assist many future generations.”
The society merged with the Order of Colonial Lords of Manors in America in 2024, continuing efforts to research and promote understanding of colonial manorial history. Susan Mudd Vogel, executive director of the CSM Foundation, expressed appreciation for the partnership. “We are so grateful for this multipronged gift which brings access to Maryland’s history but also ensures the SMSC can continue their great work of keeping this history alive,” she said. “The Society is setting an example of the many opportunities to become involved and support our CSM community.”
The Southern Maryland Studies Center, founded in 1976, serves as the primary archival repository for the history and culture of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties, along with southern portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties. Its holdings include extensive genealogy resources, African American history and education materials, Civil War-era records, family Bible transcriptions, photographs, oral histories and surname files. The center recently reopened in a renovated space within the Learning Resource Building on the La Plata campus, featuring improved environmental controls for long-term preservation. It is open to the public and researchers Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with visits by appointment available through the SMSC website.
This donation strengthens the center’s capacity to safeguard primary sources that illuminate the lives of early settlers, manor lords and the communities they built. As interest in family history and regional heritage continues to grow, the combined Newman and society collections position the SMSC as an even more vital resource for genealogists, historians, students and residents seeking to understand the foundations of Southern Maryland.
